Transforming Karma: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

The Unveiling of the True Self

When you engage in the path of practice, you are essentially living a life that transcends the ordinary world. This dedicated way of living provides your Six Roots with the precious opportunity to become pure. As you walk this path, you may find yourself encountering problems that you have never noticed before. You will begin to see aspects of yourself that were previously hidden from your own awareness. Do not be discouraged by this; this is a natural and necessary part of the process of practice.

In truth, these problems have always existed within you. The state of being unable to master your own mind is not a new development that has suddenly arisen; it has been there all along. It was simply obscured by the frantic pace and the endless distractions of your daily life in the world. Now, as you undergo the process of purification through your practice, these underlying issues and your inability to control your own mind have surfaced. They have become clear and visible, forming the very obstacles that you must now learn to overcome.

The Challenge of Letting Go

You may find that your worldly personality and your deep-seated, inappropriate habits are incredibly difficult to let go of. You might feel a strong attachment to them, even when you know they do not serve your spiritual growth. When you rely solely on your own strength, you will find it difficult to resist these ingrained tendencies. The force of your past karma is powerful, and it often feels as though it is pulling you in directions that lead away from your true self.

However, you are not alone in this struggle. When you find yourself in this position, you must turn to the three pillars of your daily practice:

• Chanting Namo Amituofo: By focusing your mind on the Buddha's name, you create a bridge of light.
• Prostrations: Through the physical act of bowing, you humble your ego and open your heart to receive grace.
• Reciting the Sutras: This allows the wisdom of the Buddhas to permeate your consciousness and guide your thoughts.

When you engage in these practices, you are not relying on self-power alone. As you initiate this effort, the power of Namo Amituofo is able to assist you. Your practice provides a point of contact for the Buddha’s light to hold onto, allowing for the synergy of both self-power and Buddha-power. If you make a sincere vow to save not only yourself but all suffering beings, this dual power becomes even more potent and effective.

The Path to Transformation

Even if you experience moments of drowsiness, or if you feel your mind wandering into different spaces, or if you find yourself struggling with your personality and negative habits, do not lose heart. Through the consistent practice of chanting Namo Amituofo, performing prostrations, and reciting the Sutras, you can subdue these wandering thoughts. These practices will gradually dilute and purify your negative tendencies. As you continue, these problems will naturally fade away and cease to manifest in your life.

At this stage, you must not become careless. It is vital that you remain diligent in your practice. By maintaining this focus, the situations where you feel unable to control yourself or where you feel dominated by your karma can be transformed. This is your genuine opportunity to transform your karma. In the ordinary world, we are often unable to master our own lives; we are pulled by our environment and shaped by our karma, living out our lives through the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Awakening and Buddhahood

We often feel that our birth and death are fixed by fate, but the purpose of your practice is to purify yourself so thoroughly that you are no longer led by the pull of your karma. This is how you gain the opportunity to transform your destiny. You must be willing to change the habits of your daily life, including your leisure activities and your routines, because these are often deeply intertwined with your karmic patterns.

When you apply diligent purification to your daily life and make a firm vow to transform the personality and habits you brought with you from the world, you secure the opportunity to transform your karma. Once your karma is transformed, your original nature will naturally manifest, and your true self will be revealed. You will then be able to fulfill your wish to save yourself and others, ultimately leaving the cycle of rebirth behind and achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Namo Amituofo